Organisational structure

Current organisational structure

Consisting of representatives of its members, the Annual Meeting is the DCED’s highest governing body, approving the formation of thematic groups as well as annual work plans, and defining the DCED’s strategic direction. It decides on applications for membership and elects the five members of the ExCo including the two Co-Chairs. Documentation of previous Annual Meetings can be viewed here

The Executive Committee functions as the board of the DCED, providing oversight of the thematic groups, as well as support and guidance to the DCED Secretariat in the implementation of the DCED’s work programme. It takes all decisions which are not reserved to the Annual Meeting. The Co-Chairs in particular provide strategic and policy overview for the DCED. Click here to view the profiles of all ExCo members.

Working groups are set up to tackle specific issues in private sector development of importance to DCED member agencies. They serve as a forum to identify effective practice or promising new approaches in a defined field, and provide a space for networking for member agency staff. Currently, the DCED has six working groups covering the themes of Results Measurement, Business Environment Reform, Market Systems Development, Private Sector Engagement, Green Growth, and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Click here for an overview of the achievements and activities of each group.

The Secretariat implements the strategy of the DCED under the overall guidance of the ExCo. It manages, supports and oversees the implementation of DCED activities. Knowledge management, advocacy and external engagement with a view to raise the profile of PSD and the DCED are among its core tasks. This includes the communication of results and impacts of PSD, building on the promotion of results measurement in member agencies. Further services of the Secretariat include technical support to member agencies and coordination with field-level programmes. It is also responsible for financial management and reporting, in coordination with the IFC Trust Fund management. Currently, the Secretariat has five members of staff. Meet the Secretariat team.

The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) is the forum for the many funding and inter-governmental agencies that are developing a vibrant private sector – the businesses, small and large, that provide the bulk of employment and prosperity worldwide. It was established informally in 1979, when its first members met at a meeting convened by the World Bank. Until 2005, the DCED was known as the “Committee of Donor Agencies for Small Enterprise Development”. Select these links for quick access to further information on the DCED Annual Meetings, ExCo, Working Groups and Secretariat.

Building on these successes, the DCED was gradually formalised. In 2004, a membership fee was introduced, and a Secretariat for day-to-day management established. Membership fees are paid into a Trust Fund administered by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). A constitution, the DCED Charter, was agreed by the 2006 DCED Annual Meeting, and a board, the Executive Committee (ExCo) was elected. As more and more agencies recognise the private sector as a key to any sustainable solution to poverty, the DCED’s membership, activities, and ambitions have greatly expanded. In 2009, members agreed as their vision to make the DCED:

“the independent and respected inter-agency point of reference for knowledge, data and agreed standards on the role of the private sector in development”.

To help implement this vision, an expanded Secretariat and an increased membership fee were agreed. The Charter was amended accordingly. Currently, the DCED has 22 members, with the Government of Belgium being the latest agency to formally join the Committee in June 2018.

Organisational features in the context of aid effectiveness

The DCED is characterised by distinctive organisational features:

It is led by its member agencies, responding to the shared interests and needs that arise as members work with their partners in government, private sector and civil society in developing countries

It develops guidelines for effective practice based on thepractical experiences gained in the field

It includes among its membership a mix of bi- and multilateral donors and agencies, and private foundations, bringing together a broad set of expertise

It provides institutional memory to members and others, in private sector development.

Overall, the activities of the Committee demonstrate the determination of many donor and development agencies to coordinate their work, to learn from each others’ achievements and to share knowledge with others. This way, the DCED contributes to the realisation of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, which aims to ensure that “donors’ actions are more harmonised, transparent, and collectively effective”. Through its technical focus, it also provides a key platform through which agencies can implement the commitments made at the Busan Aid Effectiveness Conference: The outcome document recognises “the central role of the private sector in advancing innovation, creating wealth, income and jobs” and commits partners to “enable the participation of the private sector in the design and implementation of development policies and strategies to foster sustainable growth and poverty reduction”.